Muddy Roads
by NinjawithWord
Summary: Naruto has been traveling alone for years unable to return home without fufilling his promise to bring back Sasuke. A masked stranger may be able to help.narusasunaru eventually. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, I wish I did but I don't.

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Muddy Roads

Chapter 1

A pair of heavy boots padded along the muddy road as a man wearing baggy, mud stained pants, a loose, long jacket and plain black t-shirt moved purposely through the light drizzle that fell upon the crowded streets. The only aspect of the outfit that could be considered strange was the headband, hanging around his neck, that should show to which village his loyalties where, but the symbol it bore was hidden by a piece of white cloth, decorated with a simple spiral, that was stuck over it.

Spotting among the crowd what he had been searching for, he quickly moved to the phone booth, closing himself within. Looking at the phone he hesitated. Moving a hand through his damp, messy, blond hair he sighed and checked his watch before reaching into one of his deep pockets from which he drew out a handful of coins. Depositing some of them in the machine he picked up the receiver punching in a series of well-rehearsed numbers he waited for it to begin to ring.

Sakura Haruno knelt in the flowerbed of her small garden. It was mid afternoon, looking up at the sunny, cloudless sky she sighed before retuning to her task and pulling free another weed. Lately, she thought to herself, life in Konoha had seemed too slow. She had fewer missions outside of the village and having moved into a house of her own just recently, had a lot more time to herself. Tsunade had meant for the lessening of her responsibilities to be a gift and she had at first thought of it as such, but after the first week of her relaxed schedule she had found differently. More time to herself meant more time to think, to reminisce, to regret mistakes, both past and present.

She sighed looking up expectantly it should be soon. Getting to her feet she brushed her hands against her skirt and began to walk inside. Just then the phone rang. She stopped staring at it through the window, as if unsure it had been real. It rung again and she ran inside through the small kitchen to where the phone sat on a small table. She reached for it but hesitated, turning to check the clock before grabbing the receiver and bring it to her ear, 12 o'clock it should be him.

She didn't speak and wasn't surprised to hear nothing but the sound of faint breathing on the other end. This was how it always was, they would both stay silent for a few minute before one of them got the courage to speak. This time it was him.

" Hey Sakura-chan" he said with a sigh.

She moved to put her back against the wall, sliding down it.

"Hey Naruto" she sounded tired and she knew it; so, it seemed, did he.

"You sound tired, are you feeling ok?" she could hear the genuine concern in his voice. She should tell him she was fine, she thought, it would be selfish and pointless to say anything else. All it would do, she knew, was make him feel bad. She sighed loudly he didn't deserve that.

"I'm fine Naruto"

"You sure Sakura-chan?"

"…."

"Sakura-chan?"

" Of course I'm fine Naruto what could possibly be wrong?" she regretted saying it instantly. She hadn't meant for it to sound so cruel and from his lack of answer she knew he was hurt.

"Sorry Naruto, that came out wrong I'm just kinda tired I've been working out in the garden and you know it's…. tiring" _yeah, nice going Sakura that sounded real convincing _she thought to herself _you're a ninja for god sake! What ninja gets tired doing garden work?! _She sighed yet again.

"That would be your new garden, right?" he said ignoring her bad excuse.

"You've moved into your new house right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Both of them where glad for the excuse of small talk and carried on with it for some time, it made them feel like they where having some kind of impute on the others life. Like they knew something about each other's lives. Though it was true Naruto knew a bit about what Sakura was doing she knew nothing of him.

"So, how are things on your end?" she asked trying to sound casual as she fished for information.

He chuckled a little seeing straight through her attempts. But the laugh was hollow and just sounded sad.

"It's raining." He said in very matter of fact way. "Pretty damn miserable really."

" It's beautiful here. Not a cloud in the sky"

"Hmm"

"You should go somewhere with better weather."

"Subtlety was never you strong suit Sakura-chan"

He heard her sigh on the other end. He knew what was coming; he'd been waiting for it since he called.

"… Four years Naruto. I don't even know where you are."

"…Sorry"

"If I asked… would you tell me where you are?"

"…."

"Naruto… where-"

"No" he interrupted suddenly "I told you the first time I called that I'm not coming back, I can't – not 'til I find-"

"BUT YOU WON'T!!" she yelled finally venting anger which had been pent up far to long.

"HE'S NOT COMING BACK! NOT EVER! DON'T YOU GET IT NARUTO? SASUKE IS GONE!!"

The words seemed to hang in the air the use of his name silencing both of them.

"…I promised."

"Well I'm letting you off! I just want you home Naruto…please"

"Sorry Sakura-chan, I can't… not without him."

"Then don't call me again!" he could hear the hurt in her voice and knew she was fighting not to burst out crying. After a long silence he final spoke, his voice forcibly cheerful.

"It's old lady Tsunade's birthday tomorrow right? Wish her happy birthday for me…I'll call you in October…. Bye"

"…Yeah bye" he heard her slam the phone down and sighed, she had probably broken it. But this was how it was he called her once every two months it seemed like every call was the same. It started with silence and ended with yelling.

He looked at his hands a shoved the few remaining coins back into his pockets. Leaving the safety of the phone booth he returned to the busy streets and was soon lost among the crowd.

Uzumaki Naruto walked through the mist-covered streets. Head tilted down he watched the mist swirl around his feet smiling as it continued to escape from beneath his feet each time he went to place one down.

He had decided to leave the city as early in the morning as possible, which had ended up being a little past 2 am, partly to make it easier to skip out on the room service bill and partly because he felt guilty about his fight with Sakura and thought a change of scenery might make him feel better.

She had said his name. He had been calling her on the 1st of every second month for four years and not once had ether of them said his name.

By afternoon he had left the dreary city behind; the tall buildings gave way and were replaced by vast fields and small farms. He wandered along the quiet roads with no real destination or purpose. He had been contemplating heading back south down through the Earth country, from there he thought it might be possible to move undetected through the Wind country. Once free of its borders he would be able to go anywhere. To him the whole southern region was unexplored something completely new and different. The only flaw in this plan of his was Gaara. His long time friend was Kazekage of the Sand village and if he knew him at all, he knew nothing and no one would move through his lands undetected. He had a feeling that Gaara wasn't pleased with him and it would cause nothing but trouble if he had to face him.

A town came into sight just as the sun began to set. There were a lot more trees around here and try though he might he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched from just beyond the shadows they cast. It wouldn't be the first time he was followed years ago anbu squads from both sand and leaf villages where sent to retrieve him, Sakura had tried before too, but every time no matter who it was he had managed to escape them and disappear.

Why they would have come again now, having stopped such pursuits years ago, he had no idea _but_ he thought to himself with confidence of many past experiences _no matter who it is I'll get away. _He looked up at the sky smiling to himself. To think that he, who had started as one of the worst ninja's in Konoha, who had spent his time running around in a bright orange jump suit determined to be seen and respected by all had now become and expert at being invisible.

If someone was following him they were doing so quietly. Though he was a little unnerved he decided not to let it bother him. The town he had come to was quite large, though still nothing in comparison to the city he had just left behind, it was known for the great deal of trade that when on within.

He navigated his way through the busy streets looking for a place to stay. Walking along, he spotted an inn across the road and was just about to head for it when a group of children, comprised of two boys and a girl, rushed out. He hesitated for a moment and was about to proceed anyway when a woman joined them. _FUCK! _He mentally screamed as he backed up looking for a hiding place. _Oh damn it! Bad, bad this is very bad!!_ He let out a small yelp of joy when spotted an alley just a small distance behind him. Not bothering to check if he'd been seen he hurried to turn the corner and flattened his back against the wall.

_Damn it._ He continued to mentally curse his misfortune. _Please say that wasn't who I thought it was. _Unsure but curious he peered back around the corner. There could be no doubt, that blue hair those pale misty eyes, Hinata Hyuga.

"What the hell is she doing here" he murmured to him self as he watched the group. Slowly he realised the children must be her pupils. _Hinata's become a jonin. _He sighed and turned to head down the alleyway. _I guess by now all of those guys have._ He couldn't help but feel envious as he thought about what it would be like to lead his own ninja squad.

He was stirred from his thoughts as he heard footsteps behind him. Peering over his shoulder he sighed, he was defiantly being followed. He speed up turning another corner. He was not in the mood to fight off some would be mugger, though it seemed he may have no choice, he though as he found himself facing a dead end. He groaned turning to face the large man.

"Look I'm sure your really tough and all but I'm a trained ninja and I'm really not in the mood for this so why don't you just turn around and walk away." He said calmly.

"Ninja ye" he replied a grotesque grin spreading as he began to laugh. "Oh how scary for me."

"Fuck" Naruto murmured as he backed up against the wall watching as the man began to transform. He skin turned darker and large spikes began to grow from his arms and back. One of the demons left over from that bastard Orochimaru's days as a mad scientist, it would seem. "Just great."

As the demon lunged at him he threw his hands together quickly forming the necessary hand sign. Two shadow clones appeared before his blocking the others attack. They threw him back and rushed forward to launch an attack of their own. The first kicked the demon in the stomach he left exposed, the second punching him right in the face as he bent clutching his stomach. He gave a roar of anger and rushed forward again. He threw a punch at the shadow clones and, to slow to react, the both exploded into a puff of smoke.

The demon roared again as three kunai came flying through the smoke hitting him right it the chest. He stumbled back. Pulling loose the kunai he threw the back. Naruto easily dodged to the sided before running forward to attack. As he threw various kicks and punches the demon began to fall. His attempts to defend where all to easy to get around and the punches he threw easy to dodge. Naruto threw a final punch to the face jumping back as his enemy fell.

"Ha that'll teach you to underestimate me!" he taunted as the demon looked up from the ground, grinning. _Grinning?_

Something solid collided hard with the back of Naruto's head and, losing consciousness he fell to the ground with a thud. Naruto groaned as he slowly came to.

His head seemed to be throbbing far to loudly to be healthy. Realising he was laying on the ground he moved to get up but froze when he saw the demon he had been fighting now lay in front of him once again just a man, covered in blood, dead. Letting out a small gasp he quickly sat up and turned to check behind himself. There was the man who must have hit him, in a worse state than the other. He stared for a moment before turning back to the other one.

"What the hell?" It was then he noticed a man sitting on a crate not far from him.

"Finally awake I see" he said calmly turning to face him. Naruto was surprised to see he was wearing a mask, it was similar to that of the leaf village's anbu, but unlike the curved red or black lines they bore this once was decorated with straight dark blue ones. Looking over it he realised what the mask depicted.

"A fox how very clever of you." He said sarcastically glaring at the man. He was almost certain that under the mask the man was smirking at him.

None of the man's skin showed. He wore a shirt with a hood and high collar, across his chest was a leather strap which allowed a small blade to hang from his back. Besides this he had on long gloves, trousers, which were cut off short and a pair of standard edition ninja sandals. Whatever was not covered by the fabric was bandaged, his legs, the gap between his shirt and gloves even his toes. With blank stare of his mask the whole look seem slightly surreal, since for all Naruto knew the mans skin could be green.

"I have to admit I'm disappointed, I expected more from you Naruto."

"Do I look like I care what you think?!?" he snarled "Who are you and what the hell do you want!"

"Not even a thank you? I saved your life you know." he replied coolly. Naruto found himself quickly tiring of this and getting angrier by the second.

"From a situation **you** probably set up!" he yelled.

"Why would you think that?"

"You're the one that was following me, right?"

"…Yes"

"SO YOU SET THIS UP!!"

"Amazing though your logic is…no" he stood and walked forward; carefully stepping over the body he offered his hand. "I was just lucky enough to be following you at the right time so that I could help."

Naruto glared at the hand offered to him.

"Go to hell teme" he growled.

For a moment the masked figure froze completely, simply staring at him, before slowly returning his hand to his side. After a small "hmpf" Naruto moved to stand up. Putting his hands on the ground to push himself up, he suddenly gave a yelp of pain and clutched at his left shoulder. Falling straight back down. He began swearing loudly before looking back up at the masked stranger.

"Well help me up then!" he yelled. The stranger paused for a moment before once again offering his hand. This time Naruto seized it instantly and was pulled to his feet. He stepped back savaging the stranger with mistrust.

"Those beasts didn't touch your shoulder." Said the stranger.

"Your point?" Naruto growled, hand returning to his shoulder to grip it firmly.

"Doesn't matter I guess." He replied deciding not to pursue the matter.

"So you still haven't told me, who the hell are you?" said Naruto growled though sounding calmer now.

"Well that's painfully obvious."

"Eh?"

"I'm some guy in a mask."

The calm was gone.

"I MEANT YOU NAME TEME! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR NAME!" He yelled scowling and clenching his fists.

"I'm not going to tell you that."

"What! Why the hell not!"

"Because I don't want you to know who I am, idiot, hence the mask." He crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side. Again Naruto was sure he was smirking at him.

"You have a real way with people, you know that!" Naruto growled at him.

"I'm touched" he replied sarcastically.

Naruto stared at the stranger. There was something familiar and almost comforting in the way they where interacting. The continued back and forth way they threw insults at each other and try though he might Naruto couldn't deny how familiar his voice seemed.

"Your staring dobe." He said his voice betraying no emotion what so ever.

He suddenly feeling quite ill he turned away. For a moment, just a moment something sparked deep within him, something he though he had long ago rid himself of, but as soon as he felt it he forced it back down. Sighing he closed his eyes before turning back to him, his face now straight and just as emotionless as the strangers mask.

"So what the hell is it that you want?" The masked stranger paused for a moment apparently he had noticed the sudden change and as far as Naruto could tell was surprised by it. Deciding he didn't want to draw out, what had quickly become an awkward conversation, Naruto quickly filled the silence.

"I asked what you want!" he yelled. Once again Naruto didn't get an answer, as once again the masked stranger simply looked him over.

"GAHH!! Whatever! If you won't talk I'm outta here!" He walked passed him, the stranger watching him as he went. As he reached the end of the ally, once again faced with the busy street, he turned back and looked at the masked figure now leaning against the wall.

"I'm going to follow you." He said in a flat almost bored voice. Adjusting his gloves calmly.

It took a moment for Naruto's brain to digest what had been said. His mouth now hanging open he stared at him. Finally he found his voice again.

"HUH?!?"

"Heh don't gawk dobe." With that he calmly turned and walked away. "Ja ne." he said with a wave and he was gone.

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So yep thats the first chapter of my first fic.I've written this over my two week school holidays but I have exams shortly after I go back so I apologize in advance if it's a while before I write another chapter. So anyway love it, hate it or are completly indifferent please review. Thanks 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, I wish I did but I don't.

Muddy Roads

Chapter 2

Naruto groaned as he pulled himself out of the single bed and padded into the small bathroom attached to the plain room. It was about 6 in the morning as Naruto quickly readied himself to leave. Within moments of waking he slipped out of the room in to the empty hallway. After the strange encounter the night before he had simply wandered into the first place he saw getting to his room as quickly as he could so that he could be alone with his thoughts.

The same thoughts that plagued him now._ Who the hell was that freak? _He thought as he headed to the stairs not far from him._ I mean, who the hell walks round wearing a mask like that! He's probably just some random weirdo!_ He reassured himself, though truthfully he doubted that there had been anything random about that meeting.

As he descended the stairs he found himself gripping his aching shoulder. Who would have thought such a small amount of movement would leave it aching so? He knew that any of Konoha's medical ninja could probably free him from the pain with ease but there was no way he was going to go back for something as simple as that.

Somewhere behind him he heard a door open but ignored it. _I wonder if that Teme is really going to follow me? Ne, if he tries to I'll just ditch him. Even if he can beat a couple of demon idiots there's no way he'll be any kind of match for-_

"Naruto-kun?!?" someone murmured questioningly. Though both his mind and body seemed to go cold he didn't stop moving. It was a skill he had developed from years of having friends pursue him. He had found that stopping the moment your name was called usually gave away your position, so he had learnt not to.

He was thankful for that now as he casually continued on down the hallway, ignoring Hinata's call. He had been so distracted the night before that he had completely forgotten he had seen her, and it seemed that now he would pay for it.

"NARUTO-KUN!" came the shrill cry again, this time sounding more desperate. He ignored her again, not pausing for a moment._ Please! Please let her turn away!_ He pleaded within himself. But she didn't. He heard he footsteps hurrying towards him. _Shit,_ he thought bluntly. _This will not end well._

After letting out a long groan he turned to face the inevitable confrontation.

She stared at him a concerned look on her face. Her hair was tied back though two long pieces still fell framing her face. Beyond this she looked much the same though she was a bit taller and seemed to stand with much more confidence then he remembered.

"Umm…hey, Hinata" he said a fake smile spreading across his face.

"It is you! I-I wasn't sure when you didn't answer." She said, blush spreading across her face in a manner he was much more used to.

"Er, yeah, sorry about that. Didn't hear you. Guess I'm still kinda sleepy" he replied, the lie coming easily.

"So… umm, what are you doing out here Naruto-kun?"

"I was about to ask you the same; we're a long way from Fire country."

"I'm on a mission, to retrieve some goods for Tsunade-sama. And you?"

"Well you know I'm just…travelling." He looked away unable to meet her gaze.

"You've been travelling for a while now, right Naruto-kun?"

"Umm…yeah, I guess" he placed his hand on the back of his head and began sifting through his hair nervously.

"Any idea when you might be heading home?" _It's like they sense guilt then pounce on it like animals!_ He thought as he found himself staring intently at him boots.

"Naruto-kun?"

"I…I'm not sure."

"You know if you wanted you could come back with me; my squad is heading back tomorrow and I'm sure that everyone would be so happy to see you!"

"I…"

"Please Naruto-kun!"

"I… I've still got some stuff I wanna do so… umm…" he watched her face fall. "Sorry."

"What is it that you have to do?" She said in a much more aggressive voice than he was used to and when he looked back at her it was not the shy sad expression he had expected but one of complete determination.

"Naruto-kun?" she questioned again her voice stern and unfaltering.

He had no idea how to answer and simple stood mouth slightly open staring at her.

"You don't have an answer, do you?"

"I umm…"

"Then why is it that you can't come back?" Once again he was left speechless. He was used to this kind of thing from Sakura but it was the last thing he had expected from Hinata. It had caught him completely off guard.

"Hinata I…"

"What?" she stared straight at him in a way she never had when she was younger, all signs of weakness and fear gone.

"I…I bet no one even thinks of me anymore, it's been so long." He looked way again.

"They do though you know." She said in a gentler voice "everyone misses you. So why? Why can't you come back?"

"You know why! Just like everyone in Konoha knows!" there was a long pause in which nether of the spoke both just standing awkwardly. Finally Naruto broke the silence.

"I can't go back on my word…I promised."

"What about becoming Hokage? You gave your word on that too."

"I can't do both?" he said slowly though he had a feeling he knew the answer.

"No Naruto… I-I don't think you can. I mean for all you know he could be dead."

"He's alive." Naruto answered almost instantly "I'm sure of it."

"Naruto, you know I care about you and I just want you to be happy but…umm maybe you should choose just one path. Don't you think it's important to know… when… when it's time to quit?"

" Come on Hinata, you know me, I never give up and I never go back on my word!" he replied in a falsely cheerful voice his trademark grin spreading across his face. Hinata looked down to feet and when she spoke again her voice was weak and sad.

"So you won't come back with me?"

"Nah… sorry Hinata."

"You know if I tied you up and dragged you back people would thank me." She said no longer meeting his eyes. "Or if I told them you were here and had an ANBU squad come after you…"

"Are you going to?"

"…"

"There's really no point. No offence but you couldn't force me and I'd be gone before you could call the ANBU." She looked back up at him. He gave a small apologetic smile.

"Umm Naruto-kun…"

"Yeah?"

"I won't ask when but… you will come back won't you?"

"I…I don't know." Her disappointment was obvious. He noticed she was clenching her fists and decided that the conversation had gone on far to long.

"I should really go." She looked up at him and nodded. Unsure of what he should say he simply blurted out a quick "See ya!" before turning to leave.

"Naruto-kun" she called. He turned back to look at her. " Once you come back you'll have to let me introduce you to my squad. I think you'll like them" she smiled at him.

"Yeah, well 'til then: ja ne!" he returned her smile and walked away hearing her small "Goodbye" behind him.

He quickly left the building. _God, this week is just going from bad to worse. _Once again distracted by his own thoughts he wandered out into the street. He didn't even notice the lazy figure of a masked man push himself off the wall next to him and begin to follow.

The sun was high in the surprisingly clear sky when Naruto finally stopped at a fork in the dusty road he had been following, staring at the sign before him. He looked up at the sky glaring.

"Real subtle." He growled to some unknown deity. Looking back at the sign he sighed. It bore two small arrows each with directions scribbled next to it. One pointed south towards the Wind country and closer to home, the other west, away from it.

He stood staring. Time passed and he ignored it, standing completely still and simply staring at the sign before him, mentally cursing the thing for daring to exist. _Cocky damn piece of shit._

After what seemed like several hours he got tired of standing and sat down cross-legged in the centre of the dusty road.

"Why the hell is this so damn hard?!" he demanded of the sign. It didn't reply. Naruto decided this was probably best as he was quite sure signs shouldn't be able to speak and if it could he doubted it could help him with his problems. After another undetermined amount of time he gave up on sitting and, crossing his arms behind his head, lay down.

Now lying in the middle of the road he closed his eyes and began to ponder his current situation.

_South… west. Both great directions… yeah right… I hate both of them! …I probably shouldn't stay here. Hinata might have reconsider contacting the ANBU, or that freak from yesterday might actually be trying to follow me… when the hell did my life become so damn complicated?! I remember the good old days when all I worried about was running out of ramen and becoming Hokage. _At this thought he found himself smiling. _Hokage and ramen. _The small smile began to spread it to a grin.

Soon he found himself giggling.

"Hokage and ramen!" he finally burst out laughing. The though of putting two such things in the same league seemed truly hilarious. Within seconds he found himself clutching at him sides as he rolled around on his back laughing out loud in the middle of the road.

Once he finally got control on himself and decided he was definitely losing his mind he spread out his arms and stared up at the sky, which now he realised had an orange tint to it as the sun began to set over the dusty fields.

"Wow I really didn't make it far today" he said out loud to himself. "I guess I'll just camp here tonight and choose a direction tomorrow."

Sitting up he looked around for some cover were he could sleep without being noticed by anyone who might pass by during the night. Open fields, several of which contained cattle, surrounded him. There were several clusters of trees spread through out. So, deciding it wasn't likely that any of the cows would mind his presence, he hopped the small fence and headed for the closest stand of trees.

He lay under the trees quietly content, his mind free from regular worries but all to soon the sun set and the night returned, bringing with it all his regrets and lingering memories on happier times with his beloved team mates.

The coming of the new day did nothing to solve his problems. He woke, ate the last of his food reserves, and returned to the same spot and the lingering dispute of the day before.

Once again he sat before it and glared fiercely at the sign. He moved around endlessly as the day progressed sitting in various places and positions. Try though he might he couldn't choose a direction.

Once again it was late noon and once again Naruto was lying in the middle of the road one arm acting as a pillow the other resting on his stomach as he stared up at the clear sky. He groaned, regretting having eaten the last of his food as he sat up stretching his arms.

"Oh, what I would give for some food" he sighed desperately, looking expectantly upward. "Maybe a sandwich… or some ramen" as he had expected there was no reply. With another sigh he let his gaze fall.

He had just started greedily eyeing one of the cows not far from him when something hit him on his head. Hard.

He stared down at the apple now sitting in his lap. Craning his neck up he stared at the sky. "What the fuck?!"

He let his gaze fall looking around suspiciously. There was no one in plain sight. He looked back up again.

"Umm thanks…" he said cautiously. Again, no reply. "Oh god I'm losing my mind."

"I have to agree if you actually think that fell from the sky." Said a sarcastic voice.

Naruto stared ahead of him; leaning against the sign was his masked stalker. Naruto's look of confusion quickly turned to one of anger and annoyance.

"YOU! What the hell are you doing here!" he growled at the other man.

"You'll thank the sky but not me?"

"Huh?"

"Idiot…"

Naruto slowly put two and two together.

"Oh… that was you… right" Naruto glared at him "Well I don't need the pity of some freaky stalker!" he grabbed the apple and was about to throw it at him but stopped.

"Don't want my pity but you do want my apple, huh?"

"Shut up, you sarcastic bastard!" he growled. Bringing the apple back to himself, he sniffed it and once sure there was nothing wrong with it growled something that by his current standards passed as a thankyou. Though it sounded a lot more like "keeping it anyway, teme."

He hurriedly began chomping down the apple all the while glaring at the masked man who stayed leaning against the sign casually looking back at him.

"You know I was surprised that you stopped here" He said in a bored tone.

"Huh? What the hell's that supposed to mean?!" Naruto said, through a mouthful of apple.

"Well it's just when you came to the crossroads I expected you to storm off in any direction without a moment's hesitation or consideration." He replied flatly not moving at all.

Naruto glared in response.

"Cocky bastard! What the hell would you know!!" he growled but even as he said it he started to wonder if he did know.

"Hey… hey wait how long have you been here!"

"Since you got here"

"What! You damn stalker!!" Naruto yelled though he was angrier with himself for not having noticed more than anything else.

"Tch I did tell you that I was going to follow you." He said flatly as he started to casually adjust his gloves. Naruto groaned glaring at him.

"Just so I know if I should just kill you and save myself a bunch of trouble, how long were you intending to follow me?"

The masked stalker stopped adjusting his gloves and for a second Naruto thought he might attack him, but he just crossed his arms again and looked straight at him suddenly seeming much more serious.

"Alright listen because you've been known to be kinda slow and I don't want to have to repeat myself." At this Naruto open his mouth to complain but was silenced when the masked stranger simply raised his hand. This, of course, pissed Naruto off to no end but he decided to hear him out.

Once sure he would not be interrupted again he continued.

"I am a trained shinobi and I am as good as, in fact at this point probably better, than you." He paused for a moment as if to see if Naruto would interrupt again. He didn't, although if looks could kill he would probably be spread around the surrounding fields in lots of little pieces.

"I have been hired to follow you an-"

"WHAT! HIRED BY WHO!!" Naruto interrupted giving up on controlling his temper.

"How did I know you'd react like this?!" He groaned

"ANSWER THE QUESTION, TEME!"

"STOP SHOUTING!!"

"ANSWER ME!"

"STOP SHOUTING AND I'LL TRY TO!" he yelled as loudly as he could in an attempt to make he listen.

"Fine geez you don't have to shout ya know!" though he couldn't see it Naruto knew he was receiving a death glare to challenge his own.

"Alright then" the masked man began again and Naruto could tell from his tone he was working very hard to keep his temper. For some reason Naruto found this oddly fulfilling.

"I was hired BUT, as a shinobi, I'm not telling you by who!"

"WHAT?!"

"DON'T INTURUPT ME AGAIN!" he yelled before Naruto could begin properly. Naruto let out a groan of frustration.

"Fine fine! Just let me ask a question!"

"What is it!?"

"Are you gonna try get me back to Konoha?" there was a pause in which both of them once again simply looked each other over.

"Yes."

As soon as he'd said it Naruto threw himself back off the ground on to his feet a kunai in his hand, instantly ready to fight. The masked man didn't move.

"But not by force"

"Huh?" said Naruto, lowering the kunai a little.

"My mission is to follow and protect you while I try to convince you to return home of you own accord." Naruto stared dumbfounded.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he finally said as he put the kunai away.

"No." Naruto groaned eyeing him with suspicion yet again.

"Whatever they're paying you I'll double it if you leave me alone!"

"No can do"

"What! Why not?!" Naruto whined.

"Because the payment isn't my only motivation for doing this."

"Not you only motivation? What the hell's your other motivation then?!"

"Until you return to your home I can't return to mine." He said sounding completely serious. Naruto could only stare, his mind now working a thousand miles a minute trying to process the new information and make sense of this. But there was none to be made; he concluded it was completely insane to suggest that he was the reason for someone to be able to go home or not!

"Are you on something?" he finally said, deciding that the stranger was either insane or on some kind of illicit substance.

The masked stranger sighed. "Look, this is just the way it is, ok? And you should just get used to it because I'm not going anywhere till you go back to Konoha! You want to get rid of me? Go home!"

Naruto glared at him._ This is SO stupid! What the hell's wrong with this guy! Stupid bastard thinks he can bribe me with apples!_ Naruto's train of thought was interrupted when the masked stranger, apparently deciding he had won the argument, spoke again.

"So… were you planing on staying here or were you going to choose a direction?"

_BASTARD! Thinks he's so good just because he doesn't have staring competitions with signs! _

"Smart people take time to make informed decisions!" he replied, crossing his own arms.

"Yes but those smart people do make a choice! And I'm quite sure they don't start rolling around in the middle of the road laughing like a maniac! About what was it? Ramen and Hokage?"

"H-HEY SHUT UP!!" he yelled starting to turn red. "HOW THE HELL WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW I WAS BEING STALKED!"

The masked man simply shook his head with a sigh.

"I can pick a direction!" Naruto said quickly, trying to recapture some of his fallen pride.

"Go on then"

"You want me to? 'Cause I can, it's not a problem!"

"Ok then, which way?"

He wanted to give a direction, to run off along one of the roads without any thought, but he couldn't. He stared at the sign mouth slightly open. He felt like an idiot. It shouldn't be so hard! But it was and he couldn't explain why.

"Why is it so hard for you?" asked his stalker as if he were reading his mind.

"S-shut up! It's not! it's just… you wouldn't get it… you can't" he said becoming a lot quieter and feeling very stupid.

The masked man was silently looking over him. Naruto found that he really hated that mask. It made it impossible to tell what the other man was thinking.

"Well" he said finally his voice calm. "If you pick the wrong path or change your mind later, we can just come back here and go the other way."

Naruto looked up at him surprised by what he had said. _We can just come back here?_ It was strange but he found this comforting.

"Ok" Naruto said looking at the sign again then back at his stalker. "What do you think?"

"Well I've never been this far west… it could be interesting to explore a bit," he said. "But from what I hear the weather's miserable this time of year. So south's weather would definitely be better and the road probably easier."

Naruto couldn't help but notice that he was being careful not to mention Konoha.

"Hmmm. So if it were totally up to you, which way would you go?"

The masked man now pushed himself off the sign turning to look at it.

"West." He said to Naruto's surprise.

"West?"

"Well I figure what I say won't really influence you and if it does you'll probably just do the opposite to what I say. So, west" he turned back to him crossing his arms again.

"You want me to go south, huh?" Naruto said in a surprisingly calm voice.

"It would simplify things for me. But you already knew that."

Naruto paused looking at the sign one last time, before looking back to the other man.

"Ok" he said slowly. His stalker tilted his head staring at him.

"Really?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah I guess, I've been thinking of heading that way for awhile now anyway… but if I change my mind you better not complain!"

"I won't," he said sounding quite content.

With one last grunt Naruto stood and started off down the southern road the masked stranger falling in to step with him.

"So" Naruto said after a few minutes. "You won't tell me your name, right?"

"Right."

"But you're going to be following me right?"

"Right."

"So what should I call you?" he asked turning to him.

"Whatever you want, it makes no difference to me," he said flatly.

"Geez some help you are teme!" he growled then stopped. His stalker stopped too, turning towards him.

"What?" he said, looking at the grinning man.

"Heh heh heh" he chuckled evilly. "Teme."

"Wha-… you're kidding?"

"You said call you whatever!"

"Can't you think of something better?"

"Nope!" he said and began walking again. Knowing all too well that his mind wouldn't be changed now, with a sigh, the newly named Teme, began to follow once more.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Naruto, I wish I did but I don't._

Muddy Roads

Chapter 3

Naruto hurried along through the narrow alley that was attached to the back door of the small shop from which he had made his escape. Glancing around for any sign of the masked stalker he had named 'Teme'.He ran towards the open fields that surrounded the small farming town. Jumping a small fence he moved as fast as he could to the cover of the forest in the near distance. Not stopping to look back, he leapt into the shadows dropping down low as he skidded to a stop. He moved forward slightly so he had a clear view of the path he had just taken_. _

Nothing. The area was completely still, not a single person could be seen, let alone his masked stalker.

"Hmm…" he remain unmoving expecting Teme to come running into view at any moment. After about 5 minute without seeing anyone he moved back into the protection of the trees cover, got to his feet, turned and ran.

***

_**10 minutes earlier.**_

"You!" Naruto yelled, turning and pointing at 'Teme'

"What?" he replied flatly.

"Make yourself useful and go and buy us some food. I'm going in here." he said, before turning and heading towards what appeared to be a newsagents. It was the first town they had come across in three days and they had been walking the whole day; a day that had consisted mainly of Naruto continually asking "so who hired you?" over and over, and Teme continually replying "Not telling you!" over and over.

Teme groaned after hearing this and Naruto turned back to him.

"What?" he asked, glaring. "If you're gonna be my live-in stalker, you're gonna help foot the food bill so suck it up!"

Since Naruto clearly hadn't realised the source of Teme's frustration he decided to vocalise it so that not even Naruto could miss it.

"Are you going to try and run away?"

"Eh?" Naruto tilted his head, looking over his new companion. "Umm, maybe, sounds like it might be fun." He said flatly, crossing his arms.

"Fine." Teme sighed, before turning and walking a little further down the road and, with one glance back at Naruto, headed inside a store full of various foods and other goods, making sure he could still see the entrance to the newsagents Naruto had entered.

After handing over a fist-full of money to the cashier, who was giving him strange looks, for the bag full of food he headed out of the shop and back up the road to the newsagents.

Looking through the place he gave a loud groan. No one save the a young girl, who he assumed was running the place, was there. Unable to see a back exit he walked over to the girl, who seemed to be glaring at him.

"Where is he?" he asked, flatly. The girl shuffled uncomfortably and looked away from him.

"I don't know what your talking about." she said all too obviously lying.

Teme groaned loudly wondering what kind of story Naruto had used to rope this girl in and make him out to be the villain.

"About so tall" he said, gesturing "blond hair, whisker markings on his face."

She glanced back looking him up and down.

"Sorry, can't help ya."

Teme sighed again. This could take a while and he was all too aware that the longer he had to stay here trying to get answers the longer it would take to catch up with that idiot.

_Maybe I could just use a genjutsu on her, _he thought to himself. He sighed, _I probably shouldn't._

"Look, I don't know what he told you but it's kind of important that I keep him safe."

At this she raised an eye brow before making a "hmpf" sound and turning away again.

Quickly growing frustrated, Teme decided to try again.

"Does this place have a back exit?"

"…"

"IS THERE A BACK EXIT!" he yelled, losing his temper. She glared at him.

"You're a terrible person." She said flatly, crossing her arms. Teme sighed and, realising he wasn't going to get anything from her, he quickly made his way out of the shop.

***

It was dark by time Naruto made camp, pulling his raggedy cover around himself and wishing he had waited until Teme had bought him some food before making his escape.

He shuffled closer to the small fire he had set, watching the flames' slow flickering.

"AHEM!" Naruto raised his head as someone loudly cleared their throat behind him. Knowing who it was, he didn't bother to look back.

"You took your time." Naruto said casually "I guess you're not as good as you think."

"I bought you ramen."

"Eh?!?" Naruto quickly turned, only to see a small pot of instant ramen. He looked up into the mask of his 'companion'.

"You know I was just testing you." he said cautiously getting the feeling that Teme would snatch the ramen away if he didn't start playing nice.

"Is that so?" Teme replied calmly. They remained unmoving for a few moments, both waiting to see which would move first.

It was Naruto.

He made a grab for the small pot. Unfortunately, Teme was quicker and jumped back before Naruto could close the slight distance between them. _He's fast. _Naruto glared at him.

"Damn you, give it!!" Naruto yelled.

"Say please." Teme replied.

"SCREW YOU!" Naruto was in no way ready to admit defeat.

"Fine." he said flatly before walking over to the other side of the fire and sitting down.

They stared at each other across the fire.

"You're a dickhead, ya know that, right?"

"And you're an idiot."

There was another long pause in which nether of them said a thing.

"Just give me some food, you bastard!" Naruto groaned, his hunger finally winning over his pride.

Teme said nothing. Naruto had no doubt that he was smirking under that mask.

"Come on." Naruto moaned. "Don't you think if we're gonna be travelling together it's important for us to be on good terms?"

"Heh, nice try" he said, easily seeing through the ploy.

Naruto was about to yell back at him when Teme spoke.

"Tell you what, I'll give you this." he said, holding up the ramen again. "If you'll answer a question."

Naruto glared at him as he thought it over. His stomach gave a loud growl.

"GAH! FINE! What the hell do you want to know?"

Naruto knew that the bastard was smiling.

"What did you tell that damn cashier?!.

At this Naruto couldn't help but laugh.

"Heh heh so it worked, huh?" he said, smiling and scratching the back of his head.

"She told me I was a terrible person."

"Heh yeah…"

"Well?" Naruto looked up at him, smiling.

"When I walked in there she was reading some bad romance novel, so I told her I was a missing nin who ran away from my village because they wouldn't let me be with my beloved and that you were some jealous weirdo trying to force me back."

"I see" Teme sighed, before throwing the ramen pot at him.

"YOSH!" Naruto yelled in victory. He paused. "Umm…"

"Heh."

Hearing Teme chuckle, Naruto looked up glaring. "YOU BASTARD!! YOU TRICKED ME!!"

Teme calmly reached into his pack and pulled out a canteen of water and a small pot, not much more than a metal cup with a handle but perfect for what they needed.

Naruto gave a loud groan.

"And what's it gonna take for you to give me those?"

"Same as before, I just want to ask you something." he said in that infuriatingly calm tone he so loved to use.

"Something personal I bet!" Naruto snapped back.

"Yes, actually." Naruto groaned again.

"What is it then?"

"Why is Uchiha Sasuke so important to you?"

Naruto turned his face away, focusing on the suddenly very interesting dirt.

"That's none of your business…" he said, quietly. Teme let out a sigh which Naruto pointedly ignored.

There was silence between then and Naruto was sure Teme was staring at him intently. After about 5 minutes of awkward silence Naruto decided to get the focus off of himself.

"What about you, don't you have any friends or family?" he asked as he looked back up. This time it was Teme that looked away, apparently thinking over the question.

"I, well…" It was the first time Naruto has seen Teme give anything but an instant straight answer and found himself intrigued by it.

"…no…" he finally said. "Well, maybe… I can't be sure."

"Eh?" Naruto tipped his head to the side, looking Teme over and shuffling forward a bit. "What's that meant to mean?"

Teme remained silent and for a moment Naruto thought he might not answer.

"Of blood-relations… I have none. But _family_… I don't know, I had those that I considered family and I think they thought the same of me… but…" he trailed off.

Naruto, now curious, couldn't help but egg him on.

"_But _what?"

"I doubt they still feel the same way now…"

"Hmm?"

"I haven't seen them in a long time… and I didn't exactly leave on the best of terms"

At this Naruto cocked an eyebrow.

"Wow"

"Huh?" Teme looked back up at him.

"You really are human, I wasn't sure."

"Heh… funny." Teme said dryly.

"You're pretty stupid, ya know." Naruto said in a cheerful voice, making 'Teme' look up.

"What?"

"Family… the thing about them, is that they're not something you can just ditch." Naruto said, determinedly. "Even if you're a complete idiot and fuck everything up and even if they completely hate you, you're still family! And I'm sure, even if it was after they punch you in the face, they'd be happy to see you and welcome you home!"

They sat in silence once more, Naruto was sure that Teme was staring at him intently. He felt his face grow warm.

"Hmmm…" Teme tilted his head.

"What?" said Naruto, starting to regret speaking out.

"These past few days, though you have been the idiot I knew you to be, beyond that you haven't really seemed like yourself. It's good to know that the Naruto I remember is still in there."

Normally Naruto would have protested at being called an idiot, but instead he found himself shifting uncomfortably. _The Naruto he remembers…_ Naruto felt a strange emotion welling up in his gut but he couldn't seem to place it.

He stared blankly at 'Teme' as he picked up the canteen and pot again and threw them to him.

"The Naruto you remember, huh? Which Naruto would that be?" he asked as he gathered them up.

"I'll tell you once you go home." He said casually. At this Naruto gave a loud grunt and began preparing the ramen.

After this, beyond a few stray words, they didn't speak as the night progressed.

***

Naruto tossed and turned in his sleeping bag. His breathing was ragged and sweat-coated his furrowed brow. He let out a yell and sat bolt upright, his eyes wide as he gasped for breath.

With his mind escaping the lingering nightmare and returning to reality, he looked over to Teme and sighed when he saw that he was still lying across from him, unmoving.

Hurriedly, and as quietly as he could, he packed up his few belongings and grabbed Teme's bag as he leapt onto a tree branch and away into the darkness.

Once Naruto was out of sight and the surroundings where quiet again, Teme sat up. Removing his mask, he rubbed his eyes and groaned. Standing, he looked over the route Naruto had just taken.

"Naruto…" he muttered before, with a sigh, he put the mask back on and followed.

***

Naruto sat quietly on the edge of the road as he waited for 'Teme' to appear.

"For a trained shinobi he sure does sleep late" he half yawned as he got to his feet and began stretching.

He had just locked his fingers and was stretching out his arms when he heard movement in the trees just off from the road behind him.

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto spotted Teme standing cross-armed on the side of the road a little way from him.

"Finally!!" Naruto yelled, before turning and picking up his bag.

"You coming, then?" he said before turning and beginning to continue down the road.

Teme was soon at his side, though he didn't seem particularly happy.

"Something wrong?" Naruto asked casually.

"Got it out of your system yet?" Teme growled back. "If you're still not over it then run now. I'll even give you an hour's head start."

"What? Don't tell me that my little stunt managed to upset you?" Naruto said, in an amused voice "I did wait for you."

"Hmpf… so are you going to run off again or not?" he replied flatly.

"Hmmm…" Naruto couldn't help but think about the dream that had woken him a few hours before._ It's been years since then… so why now… _He glanced back at Teme.

"Well, I wasn't planning anything today but who knows" he said as he grinned at the other.

"Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"That smile… it's not like it used to be"

"Eh? What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's a lie."

Surprised by the sudden direct statement, Naruto stopped. Teme continued on a few steps before realising this and turning.

"What's that meant to mean?" Naruto said, in an accusatory tone.

"You're just doing it to change the subject or distract from your own hesitation." Teme replied flatly as he began adjusting his gloves.

"Well aren't you just so smart" Naruto grumbled back, now glowering at his companion. "Not that it's any of your business but it normally works pretty well! So screw you!"

"Well it won't work with me so spare yourself the effort and don't do it."

Naruto continued glaring at him.

"Would you prefer this face?"

"Yes, actually."

"Well that works out great then doesn't it!!" Naruto yelled. Teme made his 'hmpf' sound again before turning and walking away. Naruto remained for a moment glaring at his back.

"Dickhead." He pronounced loudly. He was ignored. Letting out a grunt, Naruto began following him.

***

After several hours of uneventful walking, Naruto and Teme sat just off from the road, Naruto hurriedly eating a pack of chips. The sun was now high in the sky and the forests that had surrounded them had dispersed and been replaced by low lying shrubs scattered through out large rocks, that had begun appearing more frequently as their path had begun to slop upwards signalling that they were entering into the more mountainous region of the country.

"So can you not eat?" Naruto asked through a mouthful of food as he looked over to his unmoving companion.

"Mask, dumbass" Teme replied coldly.

"I meant does your species not eat?"

Teme sighed "So what, I'm some kind of animal now?"

"No, that's just plain stupid." Naruto said cheerfully.

A blank expressionless mask stared back at him.

"You're an alien."

"…"

"…"

"Idiot." Teme growled.

"Oh, I get it you're just really ugly, right?"

"Shut up."

"I'm right, huh?"

"No."

"Oh, I see so suddenly you're god's gift to women!"

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?!!"

"You seem a little sensitive about your appearance. Do you have hair-loss issues?" Naruto teased, grinning at the other.

"Just shut up." Teme snapped back.

"Don't worry, I'm sure all the alien women find you very attractive, even with your receding hair line"

"Are you done?" he growled.

Enjoying teasing the other, Naruto happily continued.

"Oh I get it! It's not the alien _women _that you want to notice you!"

Teme began strumming his fingers upon his knee impatiently.

"So now I'm an ugly, bald, gay, alien?"

"Well, I can only work with what you give me!" Naruto said as he stuffed another handful of chips in his mouth.

"Sure you're not hungry?"

"Yes." He replied flatly.

"Stupid masked man." Muttered Naruto "Ya know, I know another guy that always wears a mask, well his only covers half his face but…"

"Kakashi-san, right?"

"Eh? You know him?"

"Well, he is a pretty famous shinobi"

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei is pretty awesome" Naruto said, a distracted smile spreading across his face.

"There are rumours going around saying he'll be the next Hokage…"

At this Naruto turned in surprise.

"What?"

"Tsunade-sama is getting old and apparently she's started looking for her replacement, well at least that's what I heard."

"Hmmm, makes sense I guess" Naruto said, falling quiet. Quickly scoffing down the last of his food, Naruto jumped to his feet.

"Alright!" he declared. "Let's go!"

It was about half an hour later, as they continued on down the road, when Teme brought the topic back up.

"Does it bother you?"

"Does what bother me?"

"Hearing about the next Hokage?"

"No, why should it?" Naruto replied, casually not meeting Teme's gaze.

"Well, for one, not so long ago you were one of the prime candidates to replace Tsunade."

"Seems like a life time ago…"

"If you were still there you'd probably be succeeding her."

"Well I'm not so let's change the subject!" he snapped back in a tone that didn't fit the smile he turned and gave Teme.

"I said, don't do that."

"And I don't care what you said" Naruto replied, grinning as widely as he could.

Teme groaned, as Naruto smiled triumphantly.

His expression not changing, Naruto glanced back at Teme. _So he knows Kakashi,_ he thought to himself, _could it just be that he has heard of him, but, from what I've heard, Kakashi's not known for wearing a mask but for his sharingan… _

Naruto let out a long sigh.

"Something wrong?" Teme asked.

"Umm… nothing"

_Could it be Kakashi he's working for?… nah, not Kakashi's style. But then… a shinobi of Konoha… _At this thought, once again Naruto felt a sick lurching in his stomach. _It's not like I haven't noticed he's a lot like him, but… that's impossible…_

Naruto sighed again.

"Nothing?" Teme asked, looking over at him.

Naruto looked him over, debating whether or not to ask about Kakashi.

"Nothing." he finally said, deciding that that was a discussion for a later time… and he wasn't sure what it would accomplish anyway.

"Ne, so where's the next town?" he asked.

"It'll be about another four days before we get there, well, walking anyway"

"Looks like were gonna be walking for a while longer then." he said flatly as the two of them continued on together down the road.

* * *

So... third chapter... after over a year. I'm a terrible author!! In my defense I've been doing my final year of school, so the times just been a stressful blur with lots of home work and exams! But now that's over and I'm just going to be bumming around for a year my chapters should be at far more regular intervals!! And that's allot more sure if I get lots of reviews to inspire me so please be sure to leave one!!


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